


Love in Full Bloom

by Ajsushi



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Angst, Aspect of Twilight, Comfort, Crushes, Darkin - Freeform, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt, Jealousy, Love Confessions, Possession, Secret Crush, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, shut up I needed to write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28856172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ajsushi/pseuds/Ajsushi
Summary: Zoe and Kayn (and Rhaast against his own will) have been traveling buddies for a while now. After accepting that Zoe will forced her friendship on him, he has grown used to her company, even began to secretly like it. But jealously begins to take root when a particular blonde starts to enter her life and her love. Unable to accept the truth, the unspoken love and jealous continue to grow until he can no longer handle it.**Originally posted on my alt account AliBearWritesFluff. Transferred here to my main account**
Relationships: Shieda Kayn/Zoe
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	Love in Full Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> I first discovered this ship on Pinterest when I saw a comic of Zoe forcing her friendship on Kayn, braiding their hair together in a friendship braid. I thought it was so cute and from there, my love for the ship grew. Unfortunately, I quickly found out how unpopular the ship was so I said fuck it, I need this in my life. So for those who are hopelessly in love with these two as much as I am, this is for you.
> 
> ***NOTE***
> 
> I originally made this secondary account (AliBearWritesFluff) to post Zoe x Kayn stories that I written, in case I came across any backlash. Due to the positive feedback and comments, I'm going to posting the more of my Zoyn stories on my main account, ajsushi. Feel free to subscribe to me on there, I'll be trying to post regularly!

“Isn’t love just amazing?” Zoe sighed happily, her eyes filled with daydreams and her hand resting against her cheek as she watched a boy from a distance. They were both sitting in a tree, a choice that Kayn didn’t make as he was forced by the Aspect who wanted to stake out her current crush.

Kayn looked up from the small branch he was plucking and peered out to the boy and didn’t see what the big fuss was about. Blonde hair, blue eyes, dressed in adventure gear and a giant glove on one of his hands. Other than the weird attire, Kayn only saw another guy, nothing special about him. He furrowed his brows, plucking the branching with more speed. “I would hardly call it love, especially since you’re avoiding talking to him.” He toss the branch down and threw his hands up to gesture at the tree branches around them. “You’re hiding from him in a tree!”

Zoe, who was sitting at a branch below him, huffed. Defying gravity for a moment, she rose up into the air, getting on Kayn’s level without sitting on the branch. “Oh? And what do you know about love?” She crossed her arms, her shimmering, colorful hair floating around her like a cloud, something that usually happened when she was frustrated.

Kayn looked away from her two-colored eyes and grabbed a small knife from his side, using it to clean under his nails. “More than you do, that’s for sure.”

Sighing, she sat down next to him on the branch, causing it to groan a bit under their combined weight. “What should I do? He won’t give me the time of day even if I were to try. Someone as cute as him definitely has a girlfriend. Besides,” she threw her hands up. “There’s so much to learn about him. Like what his favorite dessert is, or if he likes mooncakes, or even his name….”

He stopped picking at his nails, raising his eyebrows and meeting her eyes. “You don’t know his name?”

She dropped her head in her hands, groaning. “No! I’m too nervous to get close to him.”

Kayn looked away, focusing on the blade of his knife, his jaw clenched and brows knitted together. “Figures. You’re a terrible spy.”

“That’s it!” Her head flew up, her eyes brightening. “I just need to spy on him! It’s the only way I can learn more about him! Oh, thank you Kayn! You always have the greatest ideas!” And before he could stop the girl, she had summoned a portal and jumped away, only to reappear moments later in the town square.

With her not around to hear him, Kayn grumbled loudly, muttering to himself about her stupid crush and replacing the knife in its sheath. He refused to follow her around as she chased over a silly crush, Kayn thought as he started to climb down.

“This could be our chance to get rid of her for good!” Rhaast chimed in, his demonic voice coming from behind Kayn’s shoulder. The Darkin blade was strapped to his back, its eye glaring at Zoe’s direction. “Now she has someone else to distracted her, she won’t bother following us anymore.”

But it wasn't the first time that he tried to leave her behind when she was distracted. The girl had a way of tracking him, of knowing exactly where he was. It was scary in a way he didn't want to admit. Kayn's mind went back to the time he tried to escape her. When she found him again, she put him to sleep and he woke up to their hair being braided together. "How dare you leave your best friend behind? You're so mean, Kayn. " He shook his head, shaking the memory from him mind as picked up their packs from a low hanging branch, along with her cloak. “Not a chance. She’s just find us all over again.” The Darkin blade groan before going silent again.

Kayn leaned against the tree, spotting Zoe instantly. Her brightly colored hair stuck out like a sore thumb and called upon a lot of attention of people, but she ignored them. She had her eyes set on one thing and one thing only. Kayn's chest tighten, a scowl deepening on his face. A small cough shook his shoulders, not noticing a small petal on his lips as he stared the girl down.

He watched the scene play out. She tried to hide behind a couple, who immediately squirmed away from her. In her hurry to find another cover, her foot caught the uneven corner of the cobblestone, causing her to tumble into the merchant’s stand, knocking the boy and the produce over. Her apologies filled the air, along with the merchant’s shouts. Before Kayn could jump into action and save Zoe from herself, the boy jumped back, grabbing her arm and pulled her away, dashing off into the crowd. At first, Kayn was able to spot her from where he stood, her face light up like a thousand suns, her eyes wide and smile giddy. But in a blink, she was gone with the boy, lost in the crowd and gone from his sight. Grumbling, he made his way into the trees, hidden to watch the aftermath. It was only a matter of time before Zoe made his way back to him and they had to hit the road. With the mischievous Aspect, trouble always found them. 

"Oh my gosh, it was so magical!" Zoe skipped and squealed beside Kayn, who had to forcefully pull the cloak around Zoe, who was now wanted in the neighboring town. When her and the mystery boy ran away, a few of the things went missing and she was the prime suspect. But despite the fact that people were out for her, she continued to gush about her sudden date with her crush. Kayn felt his chest tightening more, the scowl setting deeper on his face. 

She continued to talk about him as they walked in the brush of the forest, staying away from the trail to keep from any searching eyes. Normally Kayn tuned out her babbling, as it was a package deal with the Aspect. But this time, something really irritated him and he wasn't able to block it out. 

"He took my hand and there was this spark and he looked me in the eyes and smiled! Oh, he is so cute!" She giggled and cupped her face in her hands, hiding her redden face. "He told me his name after we managed to escape." She muffled behind her hands. Dropping them, she held them to her chest as she squealed. "Ezreal! Isn't it so dreamy?" She leaned into Kayn, smiling with a faraway look in her eyes. 

He pushed her off of him, whirling around to face her, brows furrowed. "As much as I would _love_ to hear about your crush, we are currently on the run from the disaster your first date." The words tasted like acid in his mouth, spitting them out as he watched the girl's eyes dim. 

She looked down, her cloak shadowing her face. "I thought you would be happy for me." 

Kayn's face softens and she takes hold of her shoulders. "No, I didn't mean that. I'm just saying-" What was he saying? He was tired of hearing about her stupid crush, but he knew that if he upset her too much, she would just disappear. "We're on the run, Zoe and your voice carries in the dark. We don't want to be caught." 

She sniffles a bit, wiping at her face. "If you say so... I'm sorry." 

Kayn's heart tighten and he let go of her, looking away so she couldn't see the concern on his face. "It's fine. Let's just stop here for the night. You look like you need some rest after the day you had today." 

"Stop treating me like a kid, Kayn. I'm a thousand years old. " Zoe grumbled as he moved further into the forest and found a small clearing to build a camp fire. 

"Well, you sure do look good for your age." Kayn mumbled, blocking out her complaining as he built a fire for them. Within a few minutes, warmth filled them both as they settled down for the night. Setting down his pack, he walked over to the frustrated Zoe and handled her a cloth-wrapped pastry. "Here." He tossed it to her. "It's not mooncake, but it's some kind of sweet, so I thought you would like it."

Zoe's eyes go wide, filling with excitement. She didn't hesitate to sink her teeth into the glazed dough. "Where did you get this? It's so yummy!" She smiled, her cheeks full.

Kayn's cheeks started to warm. He turned away from her, poking at the flames with a stick before the end caught fire and he threw it in with the rest. Sparks flew up, dancing around in the air before dying out quickly. "Unlike you," He bit his lip, trying to hide his smile. "I know how to sneak around."

She giggled, having finished the pastry and moved closer to the fire and Kayn. "Well, good thing I have a good teacher to help me learn." She gave him a smile that squeezed his heart. He tried to not notice how close she was and how warm her body felt next to his. Heat climbed up his neck and he leaned away, hoping she wouldn't see the redness of his face in the fire. 

The night grew late and soon, Zoe was fast asleep, curled up on her bedroll and mumbling in her dreams about something Kayn couldn't quite understand. He was sitting by the coals of the fire, stirring them around, watching as the embers die out. He turned his head over to the sleeping Aspect, who curled into herself, a smile tugging her lips as she slept. He soon settled down next to her, mere inches away and watched her as she slept. 

He thought through the events of the day, remembering Zoe's excitement when she returned back to Kayn, telling him about her wild adventure with _Ezreal._ The mere thought of his name made him sick, he thought as his chest constricted and a cough climbed his throat. Turning away from Zoe, he rolled over to his side to find soft petals landing in his hand, the corners catching in his lips. He peered down at the pink cherry blossoms, baffled. "What the hell..." He said to himself out loud, care not to wake up Zoe. Never in his life has he coughed up flower petals, nor has he heard of anyone else who has. But whatever it was, he hoped he wouldn't have to deal with it much longer. 

When he woke up the next morning, Kayn's back was pressed against Zoe's and his mouth was dry, petals falling out. He didn't realize how many flowers he had coughed up in his sleep until he saw the pile next to him, the cherry blossoms sticking to his clothes as well. Zoe started to stir beside him, her body twisting around on the roll to get comfortable as she slowly regain consciousness. Kayn hurried to pick off what he could before she woke, throwing the petals into the dead campfire and stirring them around to hide them in the ashes. 

"Kayn?"

He jumped, hoping she didn't catch him covered in the petals. Moving his hand behind his back, he tried to discreetly dump the rest of the petals so she wouldn't notice. "What?"

She sat up, slumping over in her bedroll, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Kayn couldn't help but think about how cute she looked with her hair plastered around her face, bits and ends sticking up randomly before quickly banishing the thought, focusing more on the ground than the girl in front of him. "You don't happen to have anymore of those sweet rolls you gave me yesterday, would you? They were so good." She gave him a smile, one that made Kayn's mouth tug in the corner. 

He turned away quickly, clearing his throat. "No, sorry. That was the only one I was able to get." 

Zoe groaned, falling back onto the bedroll. "Could you possibly get me more today?" She craned her neck up to look at him with a devilish smile. "Since you're so good at sneaking around?"

Kayn chucked, shaking his head. "We'll see about that."

It only took them a few hours before they made it into the next town, one that was much bigger than the last one. Before they made their way inside, Kayn did a check to make sure the wanted posters haven't made it in the town yet. Satisfied with the lack of posters, he made his way back to Zoe, who was hanging upside down on a tree limb, her hair drifting up next to her. "Hey! Don't forget you promised me more sweets!" She yelled out, waving her hands to get his attention. 

He pulled up to her, grabbing his back and Rhaast, who was forced to stay behind with the Aspect. "Don't ever leave me alone with her again." He grumbled when he was situated on Kayn's back. "She refused to cease her obnoxious chatter despite the many times I threatened her." 

Ignoring him, he waited until Zoe was down from the tree to wrap her cloak around her. "There are no posters, but it's best we still keep a low profile." He handed her a pack, and pulled the hood over her head, attempting to push some of the floating hair under the hood but failing miserably. "We can't repeat the events of yesterday. We can't risk being wanted all across the lands." 

Zoe nods, swatting away his hands and fixing her own hair. "As long as I get my sweets, there will be no problems."

Rolling his eyes, he gestures for her to follow him into the town. As they ventured in farther, the crowds grew thick. Zoe held on to the edge of Kayn's cloak, trying not to lose him. Kayn felt the gentle tension on his cloak, trying to calm his climbing heart rate. He felt his lungs starting to restrict. He tried to suppressed the cough but despite that, petals still made their way up his throat. The petals felt heavy on his tongue as they grew in number. As they got closer to the square, the crowd thinned out and Zoe let go, distracted with the surroundings. Kayn used this opportunity to clear his mouth, spitting the petals out on the ground.

"Kayn! Look! It's a candy store!" The thousand year old teen grew giddy, bouncing on her toes.

"Zoe, no, we can't-" But she was already off before he could stop her. Groaning, he threw his hands up. "What am I going to do with you?" Looking down, the petals stared back up at him, mocking. Frustrated, he grounded them into the dirty cobblestone, their soft, pink color breaking under the toe of his boot.

He made his way to the edges of the square, away from the crowd, to get some space before he started his search for Zoe. Leaning against a building in the alleyway, he started to cough up more flowers, more petals than earlier. He was noticing that he was having a harder time breathing, the hike today taking more of a toll on him than normal.

"It's your love that will be the death of you."

Kayn jumped back, surprised by the woman that snuck up on him. She looked at him, no, past him, with milky eyes. In her hands, she held one of the blossoms that came from his lungs, the flower wilting between her fingers. "You love her, yes?"

Kayn took a step back, shaking his head. "What are you talking about? I don't love anyone." 

The woman smiled sadly and shook her head. "These flowers, they infect your lungs, rooting themselves until they take over your lungs, until you can't breathe. The only cure is to confess your love and for them to give it back."

"What the hell? That's-" Kayn started coughing again, the blossoms spewing out of his mouth. The woman rested her small hand on his shoulder, patting it. He tried to pull away but she held on with surprising strength.

"You will die, whether in a few days or a few weeks. Each day, the flowers will continue to grow stronger, your breathing will grow shorter until you suffocate in your love. Unless you can get her to confess her love too."

“Kayn?”

Whipping around quickly, he turns away from the woman to see Zoe standing in the entrance of the alleyway, her arms holding a bag of sweets. Her brows were drawn together in confusion. “Who is that woman? Are you okay?”

Turning back, the woman was already retreating, dropping the petal from her fingers. “You would be wise to heed my warning.”

Kane let out a growl, storming out of the alley. Zoe’s sandals smacked the stone as she rushed to keep up with him. “Are you okay? Who was that? Why are you so angry? I got you-“

“SHUT UP!” Kayn whipped around, screaming at her. Zoe frozen in her tracks, her eyes wide and mouth falling open. Chills ran down his arms, his heart beating quickly. Rhaast whispered in the back of his mind, “get rid of her.”

He closed his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing. The town square around him stilled as hushed voices commented on the scene. But all Kayn could focus on what the tears filling Zoe’s eyes. “I- I need a moment.” He said before turning away, leaving Zoe alone.

He couldn’t get away fast enough. He ran through the square and into the tree line. His heart was beating rapidly and he was trying to hold back the petals in his throat that threaten to come out. He couldn’t help but replay the moment in the square, the way Zoe reacted and how hurt she looked. And what the woman said about his love will kill him. He couldn’t have loved her. There was no way, he told himself. There was no way he was in love with _her._ She was a constant thorn in his side, the pest he tried so hard to get rid of when they first met. He was ready to kill her if that meant she would finally leave him alone. But as time went on, he grew used to her. Tolerated her. That annoyance became comfort and he appreciated her bubbly self, a complete opposite to the only companion he had on this journey.

He had climbed a tree to hide from any prying eyes, and tried to meditate, to reel his emotions in, to not let Rhaast win, who was trying to push his way into his mind. The flowers were continuing to fill his lungs, and more flowers made their way up his throat and into the palm of his hand. Looking at the petals of the flowers, the color reminded him of Zoe’s hair, about the color she brought into his life.

Part of him was scared she wasn’t going to come back but the familiar sound of her portal found him, his shoulders relaxed and he let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“…Kayn? Are you okay?” Her voice was soft, careful. She didn’t move too close to the tree, trying to give him space and to stay out of his field of view.

Taking a breath, he leaped down from the tree, landing in front of her. She let out a small gasp, stepping back a bit, which caused his heart to drop. He looked down at his feet, his hands resting behind him. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I just… I got annoyed with this stupid woman who was spouting bullshit and-“

Zoe’s arms wrapped around him, cutting him off. She buried her head into his chest, trying to stop herself from quivering. “I thought you hated me.”

He stood still, the sounds of the night washing on them as he debated whether to comfort her or not, whether to hold her or let her hold him. But before he could settle on a choice, she pulled back, looking away.

“So, I, uh, tried to follow your advice. About being sneaky.” She reached into her pack and pulled out food wrapped in cloth. It wasn’t until the smell hit his nose that he realized how hungry he was. “I wasn't able to get much, but I got you something in return for the sweet roll you gave me."

She sat down and gave him some of the food, which, he didn’t hesitate to eat. They sat in silence, Zoe barely touching the food she managed to steal. "Are you... going to eat that?" Kayn gestured to her uneaten food. Moving closer to him, she handed the cooked meat to him, her knee touching his. His breath hitched for a moment, the roots in his lungs growing more. He tried to steal a glance at Zoe, but she was staring off at the distance, tearing up the patch of grass in front of her subconsciously. 

When they set up their bedrolls for the night, Kayn pretended to not notice Zoe moving hers closer to his, and when they slept, he didn’t bother to move when she pressed herself against him. The warmth felt nice, he thought as he stared into the sky before he drifted off to sleep.

About a week passed by and Kayn was growing weaker and weaker as the disease took over his lungs, and everywhere he went, he left behind a trail of flower petals. Things between him and Zoe were getting better after the public blowout in the city square. They continued their journey, usually only stopping into towns whenever they needed food. Since that day, Zoe only saw Ezreal one other time. After spending the afternoon with him, she rejoined Kayn to tell her about her progress with the blonde.

“I don’t know, Kayn. There’s so much I don’t know about him. But he’s so cute though! How could I not want to spend more time with him? We had so much fun.” She goes quiet and gives a sad smile. “But I guess it doesn’t matter, since he does have a girlfriend.” She looked down at her sweet roll and shrugs her shoulders. “Oh well. Guess you’re stuck with me.” She looked over to Kayn and gave him a big smile. He couldn’t help but return it, trying to hold back the petals threatening to come up.

“Oh no, what ever shall I do?” Kayn said sarcastically, taking a bite to hopefully stop the flowers. He looked over to Zoe, who was wiping her mouth with her sleeve. But Kayn noticed a small piece of a petal, stuck to the corner of her lips. His heart started beating quickly. “Zoe, what is that on your lip?” He said, pointing out the petal. Her face turns red and she quickly turns away, trying to wipe at it. “It’s nothing! Nothing for you to worry about. I-“

Kayn grabbed her hand, which held a fully bloomed flower, similar to the ones he was coughing up himself. Zoe hand shook and she tried to hold back another cough as more petals came to her lips.

“You’re in love with him.” Kayn drew himself back, the words stabbing into his heart. Anger started to take over, and he threw her hand away from him.

“No! I’m not. I-” She was cut off by the flowers coming from her mouth and landing into her lap, the pink blooms surrounding her. Tears started to fall from her eyes, shame written all over her face. “I don’t know why this is happening. I just.. after you had that talk with the woman, I found myself coughing them up too.” She looked at him with glassy eyes. “What was she talking about? Your love will kill you?”

Kayn growled and got up. “That is no business of yours and you know that. You had no right to eavesdrop on my conversation.”

Zoe chased after him, trying to reason. “Please, I only heard the end of it and I’m scared Kayn. I don’t know what is going on. Maybe we can help each other we-“

“There is nothing you can do!” Kayn stopped, whipped around and yelled at the girl. “You are in love with that stupid guy that you barely know and it’s your fault that you’re stuck with the stupid disease too!”

In that moment, Kayn was too weak and unprepared for the assault that Rhaast did on his mind. Unable to fight him, he was open to the possession of the darkin blade, his mind and body free for the demon to harvest.

“Kayn!” Zoe screamed, trying to reach out to her friend, but the possession was complete and Rhaast had taken form, his toothy grin spreading over his face.

“Stupid girl. You really think he wants to help you? You have been a nuisance since the very beginning. There is no room for you here and you known that from the very beginning. After all, it’s your fault Kayn is going to die. So why do you do us a favor and die yourself?” Rhaast swung at Zoe, his claws barely missing the girl before she managed to jump out of the way.

“You’re lying. It’s only you that wants me gone. I’m not that stupid.” Zoe was trying to hold back tears, her voice wobbly.

“Oh yeah?” The demon smiled. “Will you help me kill her, Rhaast?” The voice came out sounding exactly like Kayn’s that it made her stop in her tracks. “I can’t stand to hear her voice anymore.”

“N-No. That’s not true.” Zoe shook her head, trying to fight the tears. “We’re friends now. He wouldn’t try to kill me.”

Rhaast took the moment of weakness in Zoe to swing for her again, this time, his claws swiping the side of her side. She yelled out in pain, falling down. She held onto her side, blood soaking through her shirt. “Please. Leave him alone.”

“Ah, but isn’t that what he told you when you first met?” Rhaast lunged at her and Zoe managed to slip into her portal, jumping back a few feet away.

“You can’t run forever, stupid girl. You will only find yourself being rejected.”

Zoe’s head dropped, a sob running through her body. “You’re right. There’s no way I wouldn’t be rejected by him.” A cough shook her body and she opened up a portal, jumping in it and leaving them alone in the clearing.

Kane managed to wrestle free of Rhaast’s control, breaking free of the possession and wrangling him back into the blade. He was trapped in his mind, only able to see what was being done but unable to stop it.

“I had to do what needed be done.” The blade said with a smug voice. “Forcing you to see the truth and rid yourself of the girl. She is the reason you’re like this.”

Kayn kicked the blade down, glaring down at the singular eye that glared back. “You’re lucky I haven’t sent you back where you came up, you fucking demon.” He erupted into a coughing fit, the petals now forcing their way up, their soft petals coated in blood. He could feel the roots taking hold of his lungs, the flowers blocking any air from filling his lungs. If he was lucky, he had about an hour left before the flowers took over completely.

“I- I need to find Zoe.” Kayn gasped, leaning against a tree, trying to get air. Rhaast tsked behind him. But Kayn paid no mind to it and made his way through the forest to find her before he took his final breath.

She was laying, motionless, under a bare tree, flower petals surrounding her frail body. Kayn’s heart stopped, believing he was too late before her body shuttered and she let out a violent cough, petals exploding from her mouth. She let out a small sob, wiping her eyes with barely any strength. It was only when Kayn went into a coughing fit that she looked over to him.

“Kayn… I” She started wheezing, the flowers becoming to thick in her throat. She reached out to him, trying to crawl.

The sight made Kayn weak, the tree he leaned against barely holding him up. Taking a step towards her, he fell to his knees, scraping his palms as he tried to hold onto the bark.

Zoe looked at him and their eyes met, hers glassy and filled with tears. “You’re hurt.” She said weakly, barely pushing out the words.

Kayn crawled to her with what little strength he had left, but found himself too exhausted and breathless to reach her. He collapsed, just a few feet from her. He let out a choked cry, his hand reaching out to her outstretched one. His time was coming to an end, and he knew it. He raised his head to look at Zoe, who face was turning ashen and barely breathing.

“I’m so sorry.” A cough erupted, blood and flowers mixed bursted from his throat. Zoe’s cries turned to dry wheezes.

“I love-“ He struggled to push the words past the petals but there was so little air left and no room in his lungs to finish.

The air burned in his throat, which felt like it was clawed apart by a thousand thorns. He coughed, this time without petals coming up. What had happen? He thought, trying to get his bearings. Where is Zoe? What happened to-

Soft feet brushed against the grass, and colorful hair glided into his view. Zoe held out her hands to him, giving him a cup to drink from. He looked at her, bewildered to see her standing, alive and full of life.

“Just… drink it. It’ll help with the pain.” She refused to look him in the eyes, looking down at her feet to avoid his gaze.

Taking the cup, he didn’t hesitate to down the liquid, which was sickly sweet and hurt his teeth. He spat some of it out, wiping it from his lips. “What the hell is this?”

Zoe finally looked at him, knitting her brows together and crossing her arms. “It’s a medicine I created using ancient knowledge passed down for-“ Kayn gave her a withering look and she stopped short, puffing out her checks and stomping her foot. “Okay, fine! It’s syrup. It always helps me when I’m feeling sick.” She turned her head away from him, her hair whipping around quickly to smack him.

“You’re so damn stubborn.” Kayn shook his head, pushing Zoe’s hair out of the way and putting the cup down.

“You’re one to talk!” Zoe cried, throwing her hands up. “You rather die by some stupid flower disease than tell me that you love-“ She choked on her words, turning away to hide her face.

Kayn climbed to his feet, his legs a bit unstable. He reached out to take her shoulder, which was trembling beneath his fingers.

“You almost die.” She shook her head. “We almost died, Kayn!” Zoe let out a sob, tears running down her face. “All because you didn’t tell me how you really felt.”

Kayn dropped his hand from her shoulder, his heart sinking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t really know myself.”

She turned to him, her face red and eyes redder. “Then let me tell you something!” She grabbed his hand and held it in hers, her fingers hardly covering his. “I love you. Even when you’re so darn stubborn to say it.” Immediately following her deceleration of love, she dropped his hand and her covered her face.

Kayn softly pried her hands off, taking them in one of his hand, using the other to wipe away her tears. “I… I love you too. I’m sorry it took me so long to say. And that it almost killed us both.”

Zoe let out a laugh and threw herself into his arms. “Next time some mysterious disease tries to kill us, try to tell me the truth before we’re on death’s door?”

He pressed a kiss on the top of her head, smiling. “Of course.”


End file.
